CIBC, parking return to South Bayview Ave.

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That construction Nightmare on South Bayview was worse than anything Freddie and his frightening fingers could have caused. But Tuesday has dawned, bright and full of parking spots on your favorite high street. Another bit of news: the CIBC is back in business. From the image above you can some see of the neater appointments like the sliding glass doors on the offices.   

Ainslie calls Ford a bully for robo-call tactic

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Paul Ainslie (Ward 43) has called Mayor Ford a “bully and liar” for the mayor’s decision to “carpet bomb” the councillor’s ward with robo-calls. Ainslie defended his vote against the most recent subway plan calling it “not transparent” as to financing. It is at this point that many citizens will plead insufficient knowledge to make a decision on how to judge Mr. Ainslie for that. What most people probably can say is that the Mr. Ford’s recorded calls to thousands of Scarobrough residents seems, legal or otherwise, like cheap politics. The mayor has many ways to be heard and in this matter he was on the winning side at council. The suppertime calls to criticize Ainslie seem like overkill.  And they were no doubt intrusive. 

Gov’t seeks votes among phone, cable users

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The Conservatives will be looking for votes among disgruntled cell phone and cable TV users as they prepare Parliament’s agenda in the coming Parliamentary session. The next general election is in 2015. Prime Minister Harper will focus generally on consumer issues in the Speech from the Throne tomorrow  marking the opening of a new legislative session in Ottawa. 

Canary neighbourhood to grow on the Don Lands

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CTV is profiling the imminent construction of buildings that will accommodate athletes and others attending the Pan Am Games two years hence. The area will be called the Canary neighborhood, it is said, and will take its name from the familiar but seldom frequented Canary Restaurant at the corner of Front and Cherry Streets. The place has been closed six years now but its memory clearly lingers. To complete the story of the Canary neighbborhood it would be good to know not just about the restaurant, but by what odd and highly personal way it got this name. It seems possible however that this might never be known.  CTV

US Senate leaders upbeat on debt negotiations

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Markets in North America seem set to leap upwards Tuesday in expectation of a breakthrough in the debt ceiling impasse.  Fox News 

Banksy an unkempt gentleman kissing bandit?

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Oh dear Banksy. You are such a wonderful mystery darling to your fans. So secretive that even a sniffing Bulldog could not know for sure if you are the unkempt gent who set up and presided over an art stall on a Manhattan street. You (if it was you) were selling what is said to be authentic Banksy counter-culture spray art for as little as $60 a canvass. No matter, it is Banksy, you mysterious unnamed graffiti icon, that fascinates us. If that was you (and  Stan Schroeder of  Mashable says it was) then you are an older cat who yawned and burgered-munched his way through a day on the stall, selling a total of about $460 in art work at these cut rate prices. You showed the confidence of a world-renowned artist as you stole a kiss from the attractive New Zealand lady who stopped and bought two canvasses. Then there was the young man who liked that rendering of a kid throwing a Molotov cocktail. Not our first choice frankly for warming up a room. But hey, what matters to Banksy-watchers is that you gave your customer a hearty macho hug and sent him on his way with a special memory of his street art idol (if that’s really you). YouTube

Vehicle scrapped because of sour milk smell

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A minor bump from the rear has resulted in an insurance decision to write off the van that was hit because it now smells of sour milk. The provincial insurance authority has assessed the woman who hit the van some $4800.  It is one of the more remarkable examples of “writing off” which has become common in recent years. The decision is supposed to turn on whether it would cost more to repair the vehicle than replace it. It is apparent however that at least some cases challenge the credibility of the insurer’s decision. Why is it done? Some say there is enough money to be made scrapping cars that there is an incentive to write off. Send a comment. Sour milk smell 

Monkeylectric lights up your bike at night

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California bicycle tinkerers Monkeylectric wants to electrify your next bike ride with technology that combines art and science to turn bicycle wheels into spinning works of art. It also makes your nighttime ride safer. The company uses a programmable LED display to exploit the human brain’s perception of what it sees, and is turning heads in the process. Ben Gruber reports. 

Two commoners are godparents to infant prince

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Two relatively unknown people, commoners Fergus Boyd  and Emelia D’Erlanger, both 31, have been picked bythe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to be the godparents of their infant son.   Mirror U-K

900 sq ft Leslie condo fetches $379,000 in 7 days

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Small condominiums are an interesting market to watch. A nice 900 square foot space sold for $379,000 at 1101 Leslie St. just north of Eglinton Ave. E. It’s on the 11th floor.  It sold in 2004 for $255,000 so there was nice increase for the owner. This unit came with a parking space and storage locker. Fees are $601.38 and taxes $2,268 (2013)

Island Airport jets will impact South Bayview

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The campaign to stop the introduction of jets into Island (Billy Bishop) Airport is now available to citizens at the No Jets TO website where a petition is gathering names. At left is a video made by opponent Richard St. John. At right, is a report from Citytv on the community meeting two nights ago. The opposition extends from the impact of the jets, and the next generation of jets, on the unique recreational activities enjoyed by Torontonians on the islands. It extends as well to all corners of the South Bayview group of neighborhoods where aircraft noise has increased noticeably since Porter Airlines started flying. Porter aircraft heading to Montreal or Ottawa have a very high incidence of flight over this area. The grinding noise of these planes is frequently heard well after midnight over Bennington Heights, Moore Park, Leaside and northwards.  A sense of  life with a downtown runway can be gained by looking at the San Diego’s Lindburgh Field where, over the years, the number of planes coming and going has grown to more than 600 planes a day. That’s San Diego’ downtown below.  Sign the petition.

     

Fire quickly squelched on Commercial Rd.

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Firefighters made short work of a fire at the rear of the House of Metals plant at the corner of Commercial Rd. and Industrial Street Friday.  The fire apparently got started in a box outside the plant and scorched part of the rear of the building. No one was injured.